The ongoing saga of my life as an only child, a wife and a working mother

01/08/2010

WoW

I apologize for my long absence - I have completely lost track of time. I am struggling to think of what I have not lost recently. Patience? Lost. Money? Lost. Checkbook? Lost. Sleep? Lost. Neuroses? Check.

We did enjoy the holidays though. You will be thrilled to discover that Valentino has achieved the long sought after 80th level in World of Warcraft (WoW). If you are not familiar with this game, my tears of envy fall at your feet (chinese proverb). WoW is an online role playing game. This sounds a bit naughty, but it's not that kind of role playing. You can be, for instance, a death knight, a mage, a priest, a warrior, a druid, or a warlock and you receive quests which involve, for instance, running around cities and countrysides harvesting herbs or attacking evil doers. Oh wait, here's an excerpt from the website, which does a much better job explaining:

World of Warcraft is an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft universe. Players assume the roles of Warcraft heroes as they explore, adventure, and quest across a vast world. World of Warcraft is a "Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game" which allows thousands of players to interact within the same world. Whether adventuring together or fighting against each other in epic battles, players will form friendships, forge alliances, and compete with enemies for power and glory.

Did I mention that my husband Valentino is 13 years old? I had forgotten myself about his condition of being trapped in adolescent boyhood, until he renewed his subscription to WoW. Yes, that's right. Subscription. $15/month. You pay to play this game. Him and 11,000,000 other boyz II men. That's 150 million dollars per month to generate this world:

I'm sorry, I am sounding overly judgmental. And for some strange reason I suddenly feel compelled to say that the game goes far, far beyond what the above image implies. But you get the gist.

So Valentino made it to 80th level at some point over the holidays. This is an important milestone because at the 80th level, I was told, you can fly. I had seen him flying around on a bird like creature prior to reaching 80th level, so I assumed he meant that beyond this level you could fly solo. So, as you can imagine, I thew my full support behind him to achieve his goal and applauded his success. But then I was surprised and somewhat disappointed to discover recently that he was still using a bird type creature to fly around. Valentino explained that I had misunderstood, that prior to level 80 he could only get on and off birds that flew particular routes, whereas now he had his own bird. So basically he went from public transportation to a car. I had to let him know that this was less impressive to me and frankly I felt a bit duped. He said I was just crazy to think that he'd suddenly be able to fly.

So, skip to yesterday at dinnertime when Valentino mentions something in passing that he spent a bit of money on his hobby. This kind of comment makes my stomach sink because it typically involves his motorcycle. The one that's in Utah. (Recall that we are not). Anyway, he said no - it's his other hobby. So I breathe a short-lived sigh of relief thinking he bought a book for WoW and then I realize I'm dealing with a crack addict.

Now, to paraphrase, he used the gold to upgrade his bird. The bird you get at 80th level is a slow bird and requires you to sit and hold some computer key for minutes, MINUTES I TELL YOU, while you travel from one kingdom to another. With this upgrade you get there lickety-split. I asked if he could not have just earned the gold by mining or collecting herbs (I know a little), but apparently this would require hours and hours of game time. At which point Valentino revealed he was actually thinking of me and how I would prefer if he played less. WoW. So really buying the better bird was a gift for me.

What was truly fascinating is that this type of transaction isn't even allowed in WoW. Valentino and his lab friends discovered that you can approach someone through some separate site online and arrange a secret meeting place at some location within the game, a virtual back alley, where you then do a paypal/gold deal and go your separate ways.

I feel as though some boundaries have been crossed here.

But I bite my tongue. I am biting my tongue because it is only forty dollars and he said this would not happen again (stop rolling your eyes!). But I'm also biting my tongue because a resolution for 2010 is to just let Valentino have his hobbies without my running criticism. Perhaps this would be more enjoyable for both of us.

3 Comments

Alana - I'm surprised Valentino hasn't seduced Bryan back into Wow. Maybe soon. Also glad you qualified the trekkie conventions with dressed up, since I went to one in Toronto. Saw Number One.

Sheri - That's a hilarious story. Valentino and I often talk about the fact that some of these online friends are 12 years old. Though Valentino, of course, has all the statistics showing the median age of WoW players is 25-40 (something like that). There's no question, apparently, that the gold came from someone in a third world country gaming all day and night to acquire & sell gold. Just think how much Amit and Josh could've made in undergrad!

LOL!!!!!! That is hilarious! Ah the computer game generation! My cousin who's 42 was also hooked on online gaming although his poison of choice is Command and Conquer. His wife would tell us tales of him staying up all night to play with anonymous online players and then he would roll into the office bagged - did I mention he was a doctor? Anyway, he finally came to senses while gaming with a bunch of his online buddies - known only by their game handles. Apparently, you can chat with your fellow gamers via text (although now you can also use voice calls). Now Dave (his name also) never really chatted with the others before but he thought it was high time he got to know his playmates better. So he wound up chatting with one of his regular gamers.
I'm sure I've lost some of the details (it was a couple of years ago) but the gist.....
Gamer: Hey good game.
Dave: Not bad.
Gamer: Let's keep going.
Dave: Love to but I really should go to sleep. You know, work in the morning.
This next part is verbatim.
Gamer: Yeah, I guess. What work? School work?
Dave (sinking feeling beginning): Job. Hospital.
Gamer: Hey man, how old are you?
Dave (not liking the direction of this conversation): 40
There is an uncomfortable pause in chatting.
Gamer: Wow, you're really old.
Dave (doesn't want to but feels compelled to ask): How old are you?
Gamer: 12
I couldn't stop laughing because it all seems so pervy doesn't it. All those late nights playing online with a 12 year old boy. Isn't that illegal in some places?

Wow! WoW! WOW! I have to admit I am sitting here in my office (when I should be writing a review article) laughing my head off and practically crying at the same time - but not for pure happiness. It's the shock of it all. Giving REAL money to get fake gold to fly a virtual bird in a pretend land with imaginary friends??? I thought this kind of thing only applied to those people who attend trekkie conventions - dressed up, no less - and who play computer games 'professionally' were in that world. Yet, Valentino comes off so grounded in real life (as in the previous blog, Pledge of Allegiance).... Well, you just made my day! :=)